


Runes Covered Up

by miraii



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Background Clary Fray/Simon Lewis, Canon Compliant, Canon Related, Discrimination Against Downworlders, Downworlders, During Canon, F/M, Isabelle Lightwood-centric, POV Isabelle Lightwood, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Soulmates, Runes, Save Shadowhunters, Self-Doubt, Shadowhunters - Freeform, Sizzy - Freeform, Vampire Simon Lewis, clary fray mentioned only
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 12:48:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19020241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraii/pseuds/miraii
Summary: When Isabelle is forced to cover her runes for her next mission, she gets an unexpected visit from Simon. And as things heat up she realizes that the feelings she's been holding deep down for him are rising to the surface.Sizzy One-Shot & Canon Compliant





	Runes Covered Up

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my very first fan fic so I hope it isn't too bad. I literally dreamt this scene and just HAD to write it so I hope you all enjoy! :)
> 
> You can find me on instagram @voidm4v  
> I post lots of edits of simon, izzy, and sizzy <3
> 
> HUGE shoutout to Haley & Mel for reading, and reviewing this one shot to help me catch grammar mistakes, fixing sentence structure/flow, and providing feedback on writing the characters correctly and the story's plot in general. You guys are the best and I really appreciate your help and loving support <3
> 
> *Also this exists somewhere between 313 and 318 where Clary has not been fully turned evil from Jonathan and the situation is stable enough for Isabelle to leave for a couple of days on a mission.  
> **And to help you picture the scene, the setting and the character's looks are pretty much based on the sizzy scene in 320 where simon helps to pull the shrapnel out of izzy's back

 

 

* * *

 

  

_“I’m sending you on a mission” Alec stated without even so much as glancing upwards. As head of the New York Institute, he always assigned missions, but he typically gave the most difficult ones to the single best shadowhunter he knew, his sister._

 

_Isabelle’s face lighted up, with an excited smile spreading across her face and her eyes full of joy. “What’s the mission this time?” she questioned, hoping to be sent to an ethereal location, such as the iron sisters._

 

_“There's been a demon outbreak in the small town of Windham in upstate New York.” Alec paused, and only now looked up to see his sister._

 

_He continued, “I’m afraid that the locals have been messing with things they don’t understand. Unfortunately, this town is quite small, with a population of about 1,600 people. Most people from small towns are quite religious and suspicious of people who aren’t from around there so I want to send someone in who can get the job done quickly and quietly.”_

 

_“A small town huh..” Isabelle stated, losing her focus. After a few moments, she continued, “You know I hate traveling to small-town locations. I always have to cover my runes and you know I hate that more than any-”_

 

_“I know, Izzy” Alec harshly cut her off. “Trust me, I know. But some locals in the area have somehow been messing around with real demons and likely have some sort of demon summoning text.” He drifted off but then continued in a softer tone, “This stuff can be very dangerous in the hands of people who don’t understand it, and I need you to go in, kill off the demons that we've picked up on our radar, and find the people responsible. It will only take a few days.”_

 

_Izzy said nothing and just continued to stare at the stain glass window, refusing to give her brother the satisfaction of her full attention._

 

_“I need you to do this. You have a knack for personal connections and getting people to like you. The party responsible are most likely annoying teenagers who were unlucky enough to be in possession of real warlock summoning texts, and be stupid enough to actually use them.” Alec finished, looking at his sister with a yearning expression. He hoped that this would help convince her because he truly felt that his sister was the best for the job._

 

_Izzy finally looked back to face her brother, her face rather expressionless, “Fine. I’ll go.”_

 

_She turned to walk towards the door in a hurry to get out of her brother’s office, but she turned around abruptly and asked, “Wait, when do I leave?”_

 

_“Tonight.”_

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Isabelle always loved going on missions, as demon hunting was her passion, but she hated it when she had to go undercover with the mundanes where she almost always had to cover her runes. As many shadowhunters have learned in the past, having the dark black sigils covering their bodies drew too much-unwanted attention and raised suspicion in the undercover agent. Therefore it became normal practice for them to hide their runes using makeup whenever they were sent to interact with mundanes on a longer, and more trust based operation.

 

Fortunately, the makeup merely covered the runes, the liquid material only acting as a thin veil which still allowed the stele to activate the angelic magic running in her veins. Even though the substance didn’t make a difference in their abilities, it always made Isabelle feel disheartened in seeing the runes she loved so much, and which were a key part of her very identity, concealed and unwanted.

 

After arriving back to her room, she changed into only her bra, which looked more like a cropped tank top, and tied her hair back into a low, loose ponytail. A few strands of her long, black, and wavy hair escaped her hair tie and fell beautifully onto her face.

 

Isabelle now sat at her dark oak vanity in her room, looked upon the vast amount of makeup she owned, and focused on the concealer and foundation. She slowly picked up a glass concealer vial and pumped a few squirts of the golden liquid into her hand. She started rubbing the concealer on her left arm and let out a desolate sigh as she watched the mundane makeup cover up her angelic markings. Pumping more concealer into her other hand, she covered up the runes on her right arm making her way up to her chest. She then rubbed the perfectly matched concealer onto the anti-blocking rune that stood out on her neck. She took much more time in covering this rune, as it was especially important to the Lightwood siblings as they had all chosen to get the same rune in the same location to designate their commitment to each other, and to their family name.

 

As she finished covering the anti-blocking rune, she stopped for a moment to stare at the angelic rune in the center of her chest. Not that the rune didn’t stick out on its own, being centered between her breasts, but the dark sigil stood out even more now that all the other runes surrounding it had been covered. The lonely rune reminded her of her very own angelic rune ceremony all those years ago. Most shadowhunters got their first rune after they have completed all the necessary training and are given the angelic rune by a silent brother. Isabelle remembered how nervous she was. It seemed like she had been waiting her entire life to get her very own runes and to prove that she was just as much a shadowhunter as everyone else. It was a rite of passage for shadowhunters, and it’s existence meant everything to her. To just cover it up, as something to be ashamed of, was almost impossible for Izzy to do.

 

Nevertheless, Isabelle found the will deep inside herself as she knew she had to. She once more pumped the ordinary makeup onto the tips of her fingers and gently placed them on the angelic marking and slowly began to erase the rune she cherished so much.

 

When the rune was no longer visible, she stood up and walked over to her bed, bent over, and grabbed the travel bag stored underneath it to pack her clothes into when she heard an unexpected knock at the door.

 

“Come in” she called mindlessly. Isabelle had expected it to be Alec or even Clary but found it to be someone she never expected.

 

The door slowly creaked open, and with it, Simon Lewis appeared in her doorway.

“Hey” he stated nervously.

 

Isabelle turned around, her lips slightly parted, and stared at the boy with wide eyes, noticing how tense he looked. Perhaps it had to do with him being in the institute without a chaperone, as the vampire wasn’t always the most welcomed guest in the shadowhunter’s home.

 

“Hey stranger.” she beamed.

 

His moved his eyes up to meet hers and quietly spoke, “Clary.. uh... Clary called me and your brother let me in. She told me that Alec was sending you on a mission and that you really didn’t want to go.”

 

Izzy just stared. For some reason, she just couldn't bring herself to speak. After everything that the two had been through together, especially the events at the Seelie court, Isabelle found herself feeling something different for Simon. Something that she had never really felt before. Despite all the boyfriends she’s had in the past, none of the emotions she ever felt being with them had ever been as genuine and delicate as they were with Simon. None of her past lovers had ever treated her with such respect and care, as most of them only cared about her for her looks, and for their sex.

 

It had only been a few moments since he last spoke, but given that Izzy wasn’t saying anything he needed to fill the awkward silence. He opened his mouth to give more small talk, but then he stopped, mouth slightly agape, and moved his head to look towards Isabelle’s arms, up to her neck, and finally back to her chest, where her signature angelic rune was now missing.

 

He slowly walks up to her, and when he gets close enough, he moves his eyes to look straight into hers and gently moves his right hand to push the hair out of her face. After a few moments, he moves his eyes towards her missing rune and softly places the tips of his fingers on the location of her missing angelic rune.

 

“What happened to your runes?” He questions softly.

 

Even though Simon’s touch should have been cold, the feeling of his fingertips on her dearest rune felt inexplicably warm. This warm feeling flowed through her entire body, sending butterflies in her stomach and electricity running through her nerves. She had never felt so alive at someone’s simple touch.

 

Even despite the location of his hand near her breast, she knew that his intentions were not sexual, and were in fact based on a deep adoration for the shadowhunter, and on a curiosity for the lack of her distinctive runes.

 

At the realization of where his fingers were placed and the warm blush he saw forming in Izzy’s cheeks, he attempted to lift his touch on her. But when Isabelle felt the pressure of his touch begin to lessen, she spoke a rushed “No”, and quickly placed her hand on his, pushing his hand to cover her rune with his palm. With her fingers now pressed against his, she looked down towards them and quietly told him, “You don't… you don't need to move. This is okay.”

 

At this, Simon’s eyes fell to the ground. He was way too embarrassed to say anything. Isabelle noticed this of course, and brought her other hand up to Simon’s cheek, forcing his eyes to look into hers. Staring into his deep, brown eyes, she knew that these feelings for him were not a new development as she became aware that they have been brewing for a long time now, existing subconsciously, and only just now reaching the surface.

 

Isabelle then continued in a soft voice, “I- I like it. I like your touch.”

 

She then rubbed her thumb over his cheek, and in the quietest whisper, one that no mundane could ever hear, and she said, “I like you.”

 

Simon took a small, sharp breath in and mustered the courage to tell the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and the most brilliant woman he’d ever known, that he felt the same way.

 

“I like you too.”

 

Out of all the words he’s spoken in his life, he’d never met someone who could render him completely speechless. When he spoke too much, was too awkward, or was just goofing off at the wrong time, Isabelle always saw beneath that facade and knew that it was just his defense mechanism working in overdrive to hide how scared he really was. Isabelle was the only person in the entire world who could understand him, and not just write him off as an annoyance.

 

It was Isabelle.

_It was always Isabelle._

 

It seemed as if Izzy had read his mind, because right at that moment, with her hand still on top of his, resting on her chest, she gently pulled his face towards hers and leaned in for a kiss.

 

Their lips embrace each other slowly, and ever so softly. They begin with a weightless touch, but as they grow more comfortable with each other, the kiss deepens. Simon brings his free hand up to Isabelle’s face and begins to caress her cheek. At his touch, Isabelle feels that warm sensation again and begins to delve her very being into his. Isabelle has never felt this many emotions upon simply kissing someone, but to her, this was no simple kiss. Because of Isabelle, Simon is _genuine_ and _home_. And for Simon, Isabelle is _intoxicating_ and _pure_. Isabelle has always wanted someone who would love her for who she is, and not for her looks. And Simon has always wanted to be someone’s first choice and not just a rebound. They both have found what they’ve been looking for in each other, and neither is letting go.

 

Their kiss lasts for a while as neither one want to be the first one to pull away, but alas, they must break away. As their lips part, Isabelle’s fall just out of Simon’s grasp and as their lips rest upon each other, a rift is slowly formed, and the kiss has ended.

 

At their finishing, Simon moves his hand down to Isabelle’s neck and brings their foreheads to touch. They are slightly out of breath, and as Simon listens to her fast beating heart, Isabelle focuses on the still unexplainable warmth of his touch.

 

They both suddenly notice that after all of this, Simon’s hand is still on her chest, over her rune, and giving a special warmth to Isabelle. Their hand placement is the only thing that hasn’t changed between them in the last few minutes.

 

Simon once again tries to pull his hand off, and at this feeling of movement, Isabelle allows him to but keeps her hand firmly grasped around his. She brings their hands, still holden, down and in between them, and with sincerity in her voice she tells Simon, “Wait for me, okay? Please be here when I get back.”

 

Simon knew that she wasn’t just talking about him physically being here, and replies with, “Of course. I will always be here for you. To tell you the truth, I never realized what you meant to me until this moment” he whispered. At this, Isabelle simply smiled, and as she was about to say something, Simon cut her off. “But seriously, what did happen to your runes?”

 

Hearing Simon be back to his comical self, Izzy let out a laughing snort accompanied by a wide smile. “I just covered them with makeup.” At this reply, Simon’s eyebrows scrunched together and he looked at her with a face of confusion. But before he could even ask, she spoke again, answering the question forming in his mind. “I’m going undercover on a mission. And protocol for small-town locations is to cover the runes, as they look like tattoos and often cause distrust in locals.” After explaining this to him, Isabelle looked down and expected to see the runes on her arms but found a blank canvas. Simon noticed the saddened tint to her voice, and the desolate look in her eyes and he knew that the covering of her runes meant much more to her than she was letting on.

 

“You know.. you’re much more than just magical tattoos.” He told her with a soft smile. “The runes don’t define you. I mean, yeah, they’re a pretty important part, but what you look like isn’t what makes you a person. It’s what’s on the inside. It’s who you are, and how you always so kindly treat others. You were always so kind to me despite how annoying I can be.” At this, Isabelle let out a soft laugh but let him continue.

 

“To me, you’re not just some shadowhunter. You're not just someone with angel blood, just as I am not just someone with demon blood.” At this, Isabelle quickly looked up to face Simon. She looked in his eyes and abruptly told him, “No you’re not. You're not just someone with demon blood. Other shadowhunters may not be as understanding but you know that I don't simply see you as-”

 

“I know. And I wanted to make sure that you don’t think of yourself in the same manner.”

 

At this remark, Isabelle finally understood what he was getting at. Isabelle never let the blood of the downworlders define who they were, so why shouldn’t she apply the same logic to herself?

 

Isabelle pondered this thought for several minutes, but with her lack of a response, Simon turned to leave her bedroom fearing that she no longer wanted him there. But at his movement, she reached out and quickly grasped his hand.

 

“Wait!”

 

With his hand clasped between both of hers, Simon turned around startled with his eyebrows raised, and his mouth slightly agape. “I.. I thought..” he stumbled over his words, so Isabelle decided to step in.

 

“I didn’t want you to leave. I.. I wanted you to stay. I asked you to stay. But what you said it... It really hit me. Often times when people tell me who I am, it’s about either my looks, or my status, and just never about me.” She looked down and softly shook her head. Then she looked back up and stared deep into his eyes, once again. “You are the first person to like me for me. And that.. that means everything to me. So I want you to stay.” She finished, with shaking eyes and emotion dripping off her words.

 

Simon knew that she meant what she said, and believed her every word when she told him that she wanted him to stay. “Okay,” he stated. “I’ll stay with you. And whenever you leave, I’ll wait for you.” At this, he smiled at her.

 

He then continued in a tender voice, “I will be right here when you get back. And I’ll be desperately waiting the entire time. I don't think of your runes, your beautiful hair, or your soft lips. I’ll only be thinking of you as the girl who noticed me, the girl who wanted me, despite everything that we've been through, and everything that I am.”

 

And at this, they both understood the depth of what they meant to each other. Simon raised her hands to his lips and softly kissed them. He then let go, turned around, and headed for her door.

 

He reached the door and grasped the doorknob. As he motioned to close the door, with him outside her room, he looked back once more upon Isabelle and spoke one last time.

 

“I will always wait for you,

 

  Izzy.”

 

And at this, she finally knew. Right as Simon closed the door, she felt all her worries of her covered runes and her self doubts leave with him. But unlike her troubles, she knew Simon would come back. She knew that he would wait for her and that he would stay with her. For once in her life, she found someone that truly loved her for her, and that once she got back, things would be okay.

 

Because for the first time, she had someone waiting for _her_.

 

 

* * *

  

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think! I hope you've enjoyed this sizzy one-shot.  
> Also, if you caught any kind of grammar mistakes please don't be afraid to comment so that I can fix it. Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
